Trust & credibility eroding for BHO

President Obama’s poll numbers have been falling, which is to be expected in difficult economic times. It was inevitable that the President’s approval ratings would ebb from his honeymoon period after the election. Simply put: President Obama could not live up to the image that Candidate Obama created. Who could? But there is more behind the change in attitude toward the President than the laws of gravity. Americans clearly discouraged about partisanship and divisiveness, were hoping for a leader who would be the uniter Candidate Obama pledged he would be. Instead, it appears that Washington and partisanship are more divided than ever and the President is engaging in intentional misleading language for the direct purpose of legislative gain.

As I listened to the President’s health-care address to Congress, I was initially encouraged that the White House was going to work in a bipartisan fashion and introduce a bill that addressed the concerns of both sides of the debate. He specifically called to incorporate “...the best ideas of both parties.”

As his speech went on, however, I realized that President Obama was not talking about introducing a new bill, but rather, his passionate but carefully worded oration was an extremely misleading representation of HR 3200. Examples of this deceptive language include statements about no federal funding of abortion and no coverage for illegal immigrants. The President was correct in his assertions that the wording of the legislation does not specifically allow for the provisions of abortions or illegals, however, wording to specifically eliminate these provisions was removed in committee.

This delusive rhetoric creates the impression that the President is not genuine or trustful. These are critical commodities for a President, especially so early in his term.

Perhaps the biggest area of concern for this administration is its credibility on fiscal responsibility. Candidate Obama pledged to go line-by-line through the budget and eliminate waste and inefficiencies. Indeed, the President intends to pay for much of health care reform by eliminating waste and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. The public becomes skeptical of such overly-optimistic savings, and it begs the question why we are not pursuing these savings now? Americans are seeing the federal deficit skyrocket and they are concerned about wasteful spending. Even though Obama has spoken of fiscal discipline, thus far he has let Congress write legislation which continues the practice of debt financing and the funding of special interest waste. The President must show leadership in legislation and fiscal restraint rather than outsource these responsibilities to Congress, which has a proven lack of discipline.

The President’s greatest asset -- and his albatross -- are his oratory skills. His ability to inspire people is a gift. However, it also holds him to the standard he is setting for himself and for others. If the American people believe his speeches are not genuine nor his word binding, he runs the risk of alienation and dismissal. His has inspired millions of young people previously skeptical or ambivalent to the political process. Now, many of these young people are losing faith as they see another smooth-talking politician long on rhetoric, but short on substance.

All is not lost for the President. In order for him to regain some of his popular support, and perhaps save his Presidency, he only needs to live to the standard he has set and govern to the promises he has made.

Phelps introduces himself

Open Letter to Centennial Voters in District 1: My name is Ron Phelps, and I am running for Centennial City Council. This is my invitation for you to cast your October 13th mail-in ballot vote for me. If you attend the City Council meetings, you’ve probably seen me on some of the subcommittees or at neighborhood events. Based on my observations and all that I’ve learned, I think the city’s first priority should be to ensure that your tax dollars are spent wisely. After that, I think we have an obligation to honor the original vision for our city - small, citizen-focused government, low taxes and low government intrusion in our day-to-day lives.

SMALL, LIMITED GOVERNMENT - As our city continues to grow, we’re beginning to experience some growing pains as we find the balance between individuals’ rights and thoughtful policies that benefit our entire community. Keeping Centennial’s government small and limited in its authority is important. I will fight to protect against big government.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - We need new, creative ideas to entice small business into our city. For example, one businessman suggested that waiving some initial startup fees might be enough to entice more growth. More growth means more jobs and a broader tax base. More business-generated tax revenue will help all of us. I will work to bring new business to Centennial.

QUALITY OF LIFE - Maintaining our quality of life includes keeping us safe and protecting our property values. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department does a great job of protecting our kids, homes and neighborhoods. I will work to ensure that the city upholds its responsibility to work closely with the Sheriff to monitor the changing needs of our community.

THE BOTTOM LINE- I’m a small- and limited-government kind of guy, and a fiscal conservative. I look forward to continuing to work with residents and Centennial’s businesses to address these and other important issues (seniors’ issues, better transportation, open and transparent stewardship).

I have experience as a businessman, and am a United States Air Force veteran. I volunteer on two Centennial citizen committees: the Open Space and Parks committee, and the Land Use Southglenn Area Steering committee. Additionally, I am currently serving on the Arapahoe County Citizen Budget Committee, an appointed position, and I represent the Southglenn Civic Association at CenCON.. Together, all of my experience enables me to add value quickly in doing the business of City Council.

I am 50, a father and grandfather. I’ve enjoyed serving my country, city and neighborhood. I look forward to further serving you and the city of Centennial on City Council.

I'm Ron Phelps and I need your vote. Let’s work together to keep our government small and limited, fiscally conservative, and keep Centennial a great place to live.

Respectfully, Ron Phelps City Council Candidate Centennial – District 1 Website - www.ronphelps.com email - ron@ronphelps.com

Teacher's Desk: Rx Common Sense

Editor: Some think health policy is terribly complex. Some think all teachers lean left. Both notions are disproved by Kathy Kullback, who usually writes on education issues from her classroom vantage point, but demonstrates here how readily the health riddle yields to market logic. Don't Overthink the Health Issue

I wonder why all the people in Congress and all the White House people can’t figure the health care thing out.

Yes, health care is expensive. Yes, there is a pre-existing condition clause in most policies. Yes, most of us get our policies through our employers. And yes, our employers can only purchase from the companies allowed to do business in our state.

But do we need to revamp the entire thing? NO!

Make insurance companies compete for business by opening up markets. Allow companies and individuals to purchase from insurance companies doing business in the other 49 states. Take away the pre-existing condition clause, but in fairness, allow for a higher yet fair deductible when covering those conditions.

Cap malpractice settlements nationwide (Colorado does so already.) Pro-rate the working poor without insurance and let them buy into Medicaid.

Finally, build more medical schools opening up more seats for more prospective doctors. The field itself limits the amount of persons able to attend medical school. When the field becomes flooded, prices should fall.

If Obamacare’s public option becomes the law of the land, there will be rationing of services and doctors. Medical facilities will need to triage patient care---it could be you or a loved one that gets left out because they never planned for more doctors and licensed care-givers.

For Dems, it’s always ‘butter’ over ‘guns’

In the wake of the Obama Administration’s looming failure with its government health insurance and possibly its cap-and-trade proposals, it has made a grand splash on the international stage–at the United Nations in New York and the G-20 (formerly G-7) meeting in Pittsburgh. No one could fairly call Obama a tyrant, for he lacks a tyrant’s power, and he is certainly not acting like one (except for Honduras). When a tyrant runs into difficulties at home, he diverts attention by stirring up troubles abroad. But Obama is apparently contemplating reversing course in Afghanistan.

Like previous Democrats, President Obama’s international strategy seems rather to diminish than enlarge our world role. When he is not denigrating the previous administration or apologizing for his country, Obama is determined to build up the power and prestige of international organizations. Ostensibly aimed at curbing the aggressive designs of rogue nations like North Korea and Iran, the President’s real objective is to check the supposedly imperial ambitions of the United States.

Like failed presidential candidate George McGovern, Obama wants America to "come home" from its international responsibilities, dropped into its lap by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and kept there by the Soviet Union’s drive for world domination. Liberal Democrats believe that almost all international "tensions" arise from either misunderstandings or America’s own failings.

When one puts this together with the pressures from domestic politics, we get retreat from international leadership. As liberal Democrats in Congress indicate their displeasure with Obama’s attempts to rescue its health care "reform" by reducing or masking its socialistic features, Obama may have found the tactic that will placate them.

Early on, Obama seemed to make good on his promise to give our efforts in Afghanistan the priority they have long deserved by a commitment of 40,000 troops with a new commander. However, liberal Democrats in Congress made it clear that they did not wish to continue our efforts there.

So when someone in the Beltway leaked to the Washington Post that the commanding general wants to ratchet up the total numbers to 100,000, the President suddenly announced that, until we have settled on our strategy and tactics, he cannot approve the request without more study. Friends, this was the "good war" that the bad Bush neglected for nation building in Iraq. Why the abrupt change?

I submit that, however forcefully Obama declared that he would prosecute the war in Afghanistan, his heart was never really in it. The truth is, the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan were fought against the same enemy, often working in tandem with each other and always against the United States and the Western world. As Bin Laden is a terrorist without a government, Saddam Hussein was a terrorist with a government.

It was clever and useful for Obama to distinguish between the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for it gave a patina of truth to his claim that his quarrel with Bush was tactical, not strategic. Obama needed only to accept the windup of the American campaign in Iraq, but Afghanistan turned out to be more difficult than he thought.

So now that the left wing of his political party (Obama’s wing) shows signs of restiveness over his domestic policy, that faction’s zealotry for socialism and indifference to the plight of other nations is combining to cause the biggest disaster for America since the fall of southeast Asia to Communism. That defeat, too, was a direct result of the left’s hostility to political freedom abroad and its disrespect for American honor.

Just as our retreat in Vietnam made meaningless the sacrifices of our fighting men in that long conflict, so those brave men and women who have served and continue to serve in harm’s way in Afghanistan face a similar prospect.

Lyndon Johnson was determined not to follow the example of his hero, Franklin Roosevelt, who shelved the New Deal in order to give priority to saving America from German and Japanese imperialism. The war in Vietnam was the "bitch" that Johnson felt he was cursed with but which he would not permit to delay his cherished Great Society.

Like LBJ, Obama would rather "transform" American society than attend to the common defense. Placing its faith in international organizations, this administration imagines that foreign threats will go away as long as our nation takes the socialistic course. We will pay for this folly.

What transformation means

Slated on Backbone Radio, Sept. 27 Listen every Sunday, 5-8pm on 710 KNUS, Denver... 1460 KZNT, Colorado Springs... and streaming live at 710knus.com.

For many people at this time last year, Obama's campaign theme of "transforming America" was appealing yet safely vague. We now have all too much evidence of what transformation means. It has become, as some of us feared from the start, void of appeal and anything but safe. Join us this Sunday as we explore some of the sobering implications at home and abroad.

Devon Herrick of the National Center for Policy Analysis will talk about the power grab that is health care reform. Marvin Hutchens of the Center for Threat Awareness will sum up the almost daily pullback of US world leadership by the President during this month alone.

The next invented "right" from Barack the Transformer may be free college, or who knows, free doctorates, for everyone. Here in Colorado, Dems want a revenue guarantee toward that utopia. We'll discuss it with CU Regent Tom Lucero, economist Richard Vedder, and curriculum specialist Charles Mitchell.

Plus Dan Maes, GOP candidate for Governor, and Debbie Welle-Powell, organizer of a new group for women on the right. Please be listening.

Yours for no transformation at all, JOHN ANDREWS